However, if Moscow thinks it can act with impunity against Kiev and/or Washington, it is profoundly deluded. The 100,000 ton ship dropped anchor in the Solent ahead of Exercise Saxon Warrior 2017, a training exercise between the UK and USA. Bush at anchor on Jin Portsmouth, England. The US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev's recent comment that Trump cuts a humiliatingly weak figure at home shows Moscow's utter contempt for Trump, Tillerson, and the administration in general. If Moscow wanted to talk seriously about Ukraine with Trump, this action would not have occurred. Moscow is signaling that it can strike at Ukraine's society, politics, and economy whenever it likes.Ĭlosing the strait is also a strike at Washington. Its closure cuts off the two strategically important Ukrainian port cities of Mariupol and Berdiansk, along the northern shore of the Azov Sea, which are major export centers to the West for Ukrainian steel, from the Black Sea. The Kerch Strait connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov. Moscow's targeting of Ukraine and its economy are obvious. Russia is not only threatening Ukraine again, it also is displaying contempt for President Donald Trump personally. Two days after Russia told US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson it was willing to talk about Ukraine, Moscow unilaterally and illegally closed the Kerch Strait, ostensibly for technical reasons. This article first appeared on the Atlantic Council site.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |